Vehicle traction mat

ABSTRACT

A vehicle traction mat for use to extricate a vehicle stuck on a slippery road surface is provided. The traction mat comprises at least a main mat segment having a plurality of surface cleats, knobs, and knob cleats on a road-facing surface thereof. The cleats and knobs provide traction between the traction mat and the slippery surface. The traction mat may be provided with edge mat segments foldably connected to opposite ends of the main mat segment. The traction mat may have cleats, knobs, and knob cleats on the tire-facing surface thereof.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/477,794 filed Mar. 28, 2017; the contents of whichare herein expressly incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to automotive accessories, andmore specifically to a vehicle traction mat that is placed under thedrive wheels of a vehicle to provide extra traction in mud, snow, sand,or other surfaces which cause reduced traction.

BACKGROUND

As vehicles are driven in various road conditions such as mud, snow, orsand, the possibility of the vehicle being stuck increases. This is dueto the reduced traction of the road. Often vehicle tires may be stuck inpotholes, or ruts which are long deep tracks made by the repeatedpassage of the wheels of vehicles. To enable a stuck vehicle to bedriven out of a rut or a pothole, for example, motorists have typicallyplaced miscellaneous objects under the rotating tires of drive wheels,such as sand, salt, floor mats, wooden boards, and pieces of carpeting.Such objects are typically ineffective, and in some cases hazardous, asthey may get caught by the rotating tire and simply fly away thuspotentially injuring bystanders.

Vehicle traction mats have been known for many years and are used toprovide additional traction to a rotating tire to extricate a stuckvehicle from snow, mud, sand, or any other slippery road condition. Theyprovide an advantage in time and costs savings to stranded motorists whowould otherwise have to wait for an emergency service provider truck forwinching the stranded vehicle back to the roadway, and pay for thatservice. Some prior art mats use metal studs to engage the snow, or mudsurface. Such vehicle traction mats are hard to handle and pose a riskof injury to the hands. Other vehicle traction mats rely on pins thatare captivated therein, but such vehicle traction mats are complicatedto make, and the pins may sometimes break off.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicletraction mat, comprising a generally planar main mat segment having atire-facing surface and a road-facing surface. A first plurality ofspaced-apart knobs are formed on the road-facing surface, for providingtraction between the vehicle traction mat and a road surface. A firstplurality of spaced apart knob-cleats are formed on the top surface ofat least some of the first plurality of spaced-apart knobs for providingadditional traction between the vehicle traction mat and the roadsurface.

In one embodiment, the vehicle traction mat further comprises aplurality of spaced-apart surface cleats formed on the tire-facingsurface for providing traction between the vehicle traction mat and avehicle tire.

In one embodiment, the vehicle traction mat further comprises aplurality of spaced-apart surface cleats formed on the road-facingsurface and located between the first plurality of the spaced-apartknobs, for providing additional traction between the vehicle tractionmat and the road surface.

In one embodiment, the vehicle traction mat further comprises a secondplurality of spaced-apart knobs formed on the tire-facing surface of themain mat segment, and a second plurality of spaced-apart knob cleatsformed on a top surface of at least some of the second plurality ofspaced-apart knobs, for providing additional traction between thevehicle traction mat and a vehicle tire.

In one embodiment, the vehicle traction mat further comprises aplurality of spaced-apart surface cleats formed on the tire-facingsurface and located between the second plurality of spaced-apart knobs,for providing further traction between the vehicle traction mat and thevehicle tire.

In one embodiment, the vehicle traction mat further comprises at leastone other planar mat segment having a second plurality of spaced-apartknobs formed on a road-facing surface thereof. The at least one otherplanar mat segment is foldably connected at an edge thereof to an edgeof the main mat segment via connecting means.

In one embodiment, the main mat segment and the at least one other matsegment have similar knob and cleat configurations on correspondingsurfaces thereof.

In one embodiment, the second plurality of spaced-apart knobs on theroad-facing surface of the other mat segment fits between the firstplurality of spaced-apart knobs of the main mat segment when the othermat segment is folded into the main mat segment.

In one embodiment, the second plurality of spaced-apart knobs on theroad-facing surface of the other mat segment is offset by a differentdistance from the connecting means, than the first plurality ofspaced-apart knobs of the main mat segment are.

In one embodiment, the connecting means comprises a traverse strip ofmaterial having a reduced thickness, or a hinge.

In one embodiment, the main mat segment, and the at least one other matsegment have similar dimensions for an optimal overall size of thevehicle traction mat when folded onto one another in a fully foldedposition.

In one embodiment, the at least one other mat segment comprises two edgemat segments each foldably connected to the main mat segment by means ofa first and a second connecting means.

In one embodiment, the two edge mat segments are equal in size and eachhas a length that is less than or equal to half the length of the mainmat segment, such that the area of the vehicle traction mat in a fullyfolded position is the substantially same as the area of the main matsegment.

In one embodiment, the at least one other mat comprises a plurality ofmat edges foldably connected to the main mat segment via a plurality ofconnecting means.

In one embodiment, the main mat segment and the at least one other matsegment are generally rectangular in shape.

In one embodiment, the main mat segment is made of resilient material.

In one embodiment, the first plurality of spaced-apart knobs of the mainmat segment have a cylindrical shape

In one embodiment, the first plurality of spaced-apart knobs of the mainmat segment are uniformly spaced, or closely spaced in a center regionof the main mat segment and widely spaced at the edges thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, withreference to the attached figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a road-facing surface of a vehicle tractionmat, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a tire-facing surface of the vehicle tractionmat of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of another tire-facing surface of the vehicletraction mat of FIG. 1, in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of another road-facing surface of the vehicletraction mat of FIG. 1, in accordance with yet another embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial plan view of the road-facing surface ofthe vehicle traction mat of FIG. 4 showing a plurality of knobs andcleats at a corner portion of the mat;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a road-facing surface of a vehicle traction matfeaturing a main mat segment and another mat segment, in accordance withan embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a close-up partial plan view of the road-facing surface of thevehicle traction mat of FIG. 6 showing the junction between the main matsegment, and the other mat segment;

FIG. 8 is a close-up partial perspective view of the road-facing surfaceof the vehicle traction mat of FIG. 7 showing the junction between themain mat segment, and the other mat segment;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a road-facing surface of a vehicletraction mat featuring a main mat segment and two edge mat segments atopposing sides of the main mat segment, in accordance with an embodimentof the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the road-facing surface of the vehicletraction mat of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the tire-facing surface of the vehicletraction mat of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a left-side elevation view of the vehicle traction mat ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a right-side elevation view of the vehicle traction mat ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 14 is a front elevation view of the vehicle traction mat of FIG. 9;

FIG. 15 is a rear elevation view of the vehicle traction mat of FIG. 9;

FIG. 16 is a top perspective view of the vehicle traction mat of FIG. 9in an open, flat mode;

FIG. 17 is a top perspective view of the vehicle traction mat in apartially folded mode;

FIG. 18 is a top-front perspective view of the vehicle traction mat inthe partially folded mode;

FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of the vehicle traction mat in a fullyfolded mode; and

FIG. 20 is a top-front perspective view of the vehicle traction mat inthe fully folded mode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, and notlimitation. With reference to FIGS. 1-5, a vehicle traction mat 100 isprovided. Vehicle traction mat 100 may be made from rubber, resinpolymer, or any other suitable resilient material for providingtraction. Vehicle traction mat 100 is of sufficient thickness so as tobe durable and be able to withstand the harsh conditions of being placedunder a rotating vehicle tire. A typical thickness may be in the rangeof 3 mm to 10 mm, but other thickness ranges are also contemplated.Vehicle traction mat 100 is comprised of a generally flat main matsegment 120 having a road-facing surface 122, and a tire-facing surface124. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the road-facing surface 122is provided with a plurality of knobs 150. Knobs 150 may be spaced aparton the road-facing surface 122 of vehicle traction mat 100, for digginginto a slippery surface and providing traction between vehicle tractionmat 100 and the road surface. A slippery surface may comprise snow, ice,mud, sand, or ice. At least some of knobs 150 may be provided withspaced apart knob cleats 160 formed on the top surface thereof. Knobcleats 160 provide additional tracking between the mat and the slipperyroad surface as they grip onto the slippery surface. For the embodimentdepicted in the figures, knobs 150 are shown to be cylindrical in shape;however other shapes are also contemplated. For example knobs 150 mayhave an irregular shape, a quadrilateral profile, a triangular profile,a hexagonal profile, an octagonal profile, or any other prism shape. Inone embodiment, knobs 150 may be tapered as they extend outwardly fromsurface 122. The tapering may assist in digging into tough but slipperyroad surfaces. For example, knobs 150 may be frusto-conical in shape, orin the shape of a truncated pyramid. Knobs 150 may be uniformly spacedacross the entirety of the road-facing surface 122, as shown in thefigures. Alternatively (not shown), knobs 150 may be closely spaced in acenter region of the road-facing surface 122, and widely spaced closerto the edges thereof.

In one embodiment, shown in FIG. 2, the tire-facing surface 124 of themain mat segment 120 is a rough surface which provides traction with avehicle tire. In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 3, the tire-facingsurface 124 is provided with a plurality of cleats 140 for providingadditional traction with a vehicle tire when it comes in contacttherewith. Pleats 140 are spaced apart on surface 124, and may beuniformly spaced across the entirety of surface 124. Alternatively,pleats 140 may be closely spaced in a center region of the tire-facingsurface 124, and widely spaced closer to the edges thereof.

In one embodiment, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the road-facing surface 122is additionally provided with cleats 140 in the space between knobs 150.The triple traction action of the surface cleats 140, knobs 150, andknob cleats 160, provides optimal traction between the road-facingsurface 122 of vehicle traction mat 100, and a slippery road surfacesuch as one covered in snow, mud, sand, or ice. For example, when snowis packed, knobs 150 and knob-cleats 160 are shaped and sized fordigging into the packed snow to provide deep traction. Surface cleats140 provide additional traction with the top surface of the snow betweenknobs 150.

In one embodiment, the tire-facing surface 124 of main mat segment 120is provided with a plurality of knobs 150 and knob cleats 160, similarto surface 122 shown in FIG. 1. This improves traction with the vehicletires particularly, if the tread is worn, or if the tires are summertires with little tread thereon.

In another embodiment, the tire-facing surface 124 of main mat segment120 is identical to the road-facing surface 122 shown in FIG. 4. Havingknobs 150 with knob cleats 160 on the tire-facing surface 124 improvestraction with the vehicle's tires particularly if their tread is wornout or if they are summer tires, as mentioned earlier. Additionally, dueto the presence of surface cleats 140 between knobs 150 on tire-facingsurface 124, the vehicle traction mat 100 may be used on either side. Ifone surface is damaged, for example, if some knobs 150 are dislodged,that surface may be used as the tire-facing surface and the oppositesurface becomes the road-facing surface since typically a road-facingsurface needs more traction than a tire-facing one does.

In another embodiment (not shown), the vehicle traction mat's surfaces122 and 124 both have knobs, knob cleats, and cleats, but with differentdimensions and distributions. For example, the surface 124 may beprovided with a larger number of smaller knobs, while surface 122 may beprovided with a smaller number of larger knobs. Different knobconfigurations may be suitable for different types of terrain.Advantageously, the traction mat may be suitable for different surfaces(mud, sand snow, or ice) depending on which surface (122 or 124) is usedas a road-facing surface.

Another vehicle traction mat 200 is described with reference to FIGS. 6to 8. Vehicle traction mat 200 comprises a main mat segment 120, and atleast one other mat segment 110. The two mat segments are connected toone another via connecting means 130. Main mat segment 120 and other matsegment 110 are integrally formed, and connecting means 130 comprises atraverse strip of mat material of reduced thickness formed between themain mat segment 120 and the other mat segment 110. This is preferred tohaving two separate mat segments connected by mechanical means which maybreak or fail under harsh conditions. The connecting means 130 serve asa hinge around which mat segments 110 and 120 may be folded to have areduced area for storage purposes.

With reference to FIG. 6, the main mat segment 120 has a longer lengththat the other mat segment 110. In another preferred embodiment (notshown) both mat segments have the same shape and dimensions, andconnecting means 130 are at the center portion between the two matsegments. The advantage of having two mat segments of the same size isthat when the traction mat 200 is folded, the overall area thereof issubstantially the same as the area of each of the two segments.Accordingly, this provides for an optimal overall size when the main matsegment 120 and the other mat segment 110 are folded onto one another ina fully folded position.

The vehicle traction mat 200 may have a rough tire-facing surface 124similar to that of FIG. 2, on both the main segment and the othersegment. Alternatively, the tire-facing surface of both the main mat 120segment and the other mat segment 110 may be provided with surfacepleats 140 only, similar to surface 124 of FIG. 3. In anotherembodiment, the tire-facing surface 124 of the main mat segment 120 andthe tire-facing surface 114 of the other mat segment 110 may each beprovided with knobs 150, knob pleats 160, and surface pleats 140.

To fold vehicle traction mat 200, the other mat segment 110 is foldedaround the connecting means 130 towards the main mat segment 120 withthe road-facing surface 112 coming in proximity with road-facing surface122. To further optimize the size of the folded traction mat 200, theknobs 150 on surface 112 and the knobs 150 on surface 122 are positionedto be interleaved with one another. For example, knobs 150 of surface122 may have spaces therebetween suitable for receiving knobs 150 ofsurface 112 when mat segment 110 is folded towards main mat segment 120.Additionally knobs 150 on surface 112 may be offset by a distance d1from the center line of the connecting means, while knobs 150 on surface122 may be offset by a distance d2 from the center line of theconnecting means. The two distances d1 and d2 are different such thatknobs 150 from surface 122 fit into spaces formed by knobs 150 onsurface 112, and vice versa. Alternatively, knobs 150 may be staggeredon the surfaces 112 and 122 so as to allow knobs 150 on surface 112 tofit in spaces between knobs 150 on surface 122, and vice versa.Accordingly, the overall thickness of the fully folded vehicle tractionmat 200 is optimized for easy storage.

While the surface configuration for both the main mat segment 120 andthe other mat segment 110 are shown to be similar, other embodimentswhere the main and other segments may be of different configurations arecontemplated. For example, the dimensions and/or distribution of theknobs 150 on the road-facing surface 122 may be different than that ofroad-facing surface 112. This may be useful, for example, if the vehicleis stuck in a large pothole where the bottom surface of the pothole hasa surface with different properties from the sidewalls of the pothole,then a one mat segment is placed at the bottom while the other rests onthe sidewalls for optimal traction.

FIGS. 9-20 depict vehicle traction mat 300, in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present disclosure. Vehicle traction mat 300 featuresa main mat segment 120 and two edge mat segments 110. As discussedabove, the mat segments may be integrally formed and connected viaconnecting means such as a strip of material of reduced width formedbetween the main mat segment 120 and each of the edge mat segments 110.For example, connecting strip 130 may have a thickness of 2 mm oranother suitable thickness that allows traction mat 300 to be folded asshown in FIG. 17 to FIG. 20, while at the same time providing enoughstrength to resist tearing.

Vehicle traction mat 300 is shown to have a generally rectangular shape;however, other generally planar shapes are also contemplated. Forexample, main mat segment 120 may be rectangular, while edge matsegments 110 may be semi-circular, semi-elliptical, triangular, ortrapezoidal. In some embodiments, the tire-facing surfaces (124, 114)are rough. In other embodiments, the tire-facing surfaces (124, 114)have spaced-apart surface cleats 140 to provide traction between arotating vehicle tire (not shown) and the traction mat 300. Theroad-facing surfaces (122, 112) may be provided with knobs 150. Asdiscussed earlier, knobs 150 may have the shape of a prism with atriangular, rectangular, square, or trapezoidal cross section. Knobcleats 160 provide extra traction to the mat with respect to the roadsurface. In another embodiment, the road-facing surfaces (122, 112) ofthe vehicle traction mat 300 may be provided with surface cleats 140formed in spaces between knobs 150. In yet another embodiment, thetire-facing surfaces (124, 114) of vehicle traction mat 300 may beprovided with knobs 150 and cleats 160 for providing additional tractionbetween a rotating vehicle tire and the tire-facing surface. In theembodiment shown in the accompanying figures, vehicle traction mat 300has identical surfaces, each provided with surface cleats 140, knobs150, and knob-cleats 160. However, as previously discussed, the knobs150 may have different sizes and spacing for each of the tire-facing andthe road-facing surfaces.

Although the figures depict the knobs 150 and cleats 140 to be evenlyspaced, they may be scattered around the surface of mats 100, 200, or300 in an uneven manner, or in a staggered pattern. While the knobs areshown to be organized in straight rows along the surface of the mats,this is not necessary as many arrangements are contemplated. The spacingbetween knobs 150 is chosen to prevent packed snow or mud from beingstuck therein thus reducing traction. In a preferred embodiment a 15-25mm spacing between knobs 150 is contemplated. The height of knobs 150may be in the range of 5-15 mm, but other ranges are also contemplateddepending on the expected road surface condition. The diameter or sideof the knobs may be in the range of 10-30 mm but other dimensions arealso contemplated depending, in part on the shape of the knobs, and theterrain or road surface condition. Different size and spacing ranges arecontemplated based on various considerations such as tire size, vehicleweight, and desired storage size requirements. The higher knobs 150 are,for example, the more space the mats 200, and 300 will take up whenfolded. In some embodiments, knobs 150 may be staggered on the surfaceof vehicle traction mat 100 such that knobs 150 from the edge mats 110would fit into the spaces between knobs 150 on the main mat segment 120,when edge mat segments 110 are folded towards main mat segment 120. As aresult, the effective thickness of the folded vehicle traction mat 100is reduced. Main mat segment 120 and edge mat segments 110 may bedimensioned for optimal size when vehicle traction mat 300 is folded.For example, as best seen in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, edge mat segments 110each has a length that is approximately half the length of main matsegment 120 such that when the traction mat 300 is folded, its length issubstantially equal to that of main mat segment 120. Edge mat segments110 need not be identical in size. For example one edge mat segment mayhave a longer length than the length of the other edge mat segment inwhich case the lengths of both edge segments would, added together, beless than or equal to the length of the main mat segment 120, andaccordingly there would be a space therebetween in folded mode. In someembodiments a plurality of mat segments (not shown) are used and may befan-folded for optimal storage dimensions. For example, a vehicletraction mat comprised of four square segments arranged longitudinallyand connected to one another by connecting means in a fan-foldarrangement. The vehicle traction mat can be fan-folded so as to take upthe space area of a single square segment and four times the thicknessof a square segment. In another embodiment, the mat may be comprised ofthree square mat segments arranged as an L-shape.

The above-described embodiments are intended to be examples of thepresent invention and alterations and modifications may be effectedthereto, by those of skill in the art, without departing from the scopeof the invention that is defined solely by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle traction mat, comprising: a generallyplanar main mat segment having a tire-facing surface and a road-facingsurface; a first plurality of spaced-apart knobs formed on theroad-facing surface, for providing traction between the vehicle tractionmat and a road surface; and a first plurality of spaced-apartknob-cleats formed on a top surface of at least some of the firstplurality of spaced-apart knobs for providing additional tractionbetween the vehicle traction mat and the road surface.
 2. The vehicletraction mat of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of spaced-apartsurface cleats formed on the tire-facing surface for providing tractionbetween the vehicle traction mat and a vehicle tire.
 3. The vehicletraction mat of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of spaced-apartsurface cleats formed on the road-facing surface and located between thefirst plurality of spaced-apart knobs for providing additional tractionbetween the vehicle traction mat and the road surface.
 4. The vehicletraction mat of claim 1, further comprising a second plurality ofspaced-apart knobs formed on the tire-facing surface, and a secondplurality of spaced-apart knob-cleats formed on a top surface of atleast some of the second plurality of spaced-apart knobs for providingadditional traction between the vehicle traction mat and a vehicle tire.5. The vehicle traction mat of claim 4, further comprising a pluralityof spaced-apart surface cleats formed on the tire-facing surface andlocated between the second plurality of spaced-apart knobs for providingadditional traction between the vehicle traction mat and the vehicletire.
 6. The vehicle traction mat of claim 1 further comprising at leastone other planar mat segment having a second plurality of spaced-apartknobs formed on a road-facing surface thereof, the other planar matsegment being foldably connected at an edge thereof to an edge of themain mat segment via connecting means.
 7. The vehicle traction mat ofclaim 6, wherein the main mat segment and the at least one other matsegment have similar knob and pleat configurations on correspondingsurfaces thereof.
 8. The vehicle traction mat of claim 6, wherein thesecond plurality of spaced-apart knobs of the other mat segment fitbetween the first plurality of spaced-apart knobs of the main matsegment when the other mat segment is folded onto the main mat segment.9. The vehicle traction mat of claim 8, wherein the second plurality ofspaced-apart knobs of the other mat segment are offset by a differentdistance from the connecting means than the first plurality ofspaced-apart knobs of the main mat segment are.
 10. The vehicle tractionmat of claim 6, wherein the connecting means comprises a traverse stripof material having a reduced thickness.
 11. The vehicle traction mat ofclaim 6, wherein the connecting means comprises a hinge.
 12. The vehicletraction mat of claim 6, wherein the main mat segment and the at leastother mat segment have similar dimensions for an optimal overall size ofthe vehicle traction mat when folded onto one another in a fully foldedposition.
 13. The vehicle traction mat of claim 6, wherein the at leastone other mat segment comprises two edge mat segments each foldablyconnected to the main mat segment via a first and a second connectingmeans.
 14. The vehicle traction mat of claim 13, wherein the two edgemat segments are equal in size and each has a length that is less thanor equal to half the length of the main mat segment, such that the areaof the vehicle traction mat in a fully folded position is substantiallythe same as the area of the main mat segment.
 15. The vehicle tractionmat of claim 6, wherein the at least one other mat segment comprises aplurality of mat edges foldably connected to the main mat segment via aplurality of connecting means.
 16. The vehicle traction mat of claim 6,wherein the main mat segment and the other mat segment are generallyrectangular in shape.
 17. The vehicle traction mat of claim 1, whereinthe mat main segment is made of resilient material.
 18. The vehicletraction mat of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of spaced-apartknobs have a cylindrical shape.
 19. The vehicle traction mat of claim 1,wherein the first plurality of spaced-apart knobs are uniformly spaced.20. The vehicle traction mat of claim 1, wherein the first plurality ofspaced-apart knobs are closely spaced in a center region of the main matsegment and widely spaced at edges thereof.